Milking-machine.



n. ALPVEN.

MILKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13, 1912.

1,033,515. Patented July 23,1912.

DAVID ALFVEN, OF STQCKHOLM, SWEDEN.

MILKING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application filed March 13, 1912. Serial No. 683,405.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID ALrviiN, a citizen of the Kingdom of Sweden, residing at Stockholm, Sweden, have invented new and useful Improvements in Milking-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vmilking machines and more especially such milking machines in which the milking members consist of sets of swinging arms arranged aboveone another and of an adjustable plate coacting with each set of arms.

Theobject of the invention is to simplify the construction of such milking machines and the invention consists, briefly, in the novel construction and arrangement of said arms, more particularly described herebelow and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown one embodiment of my invention.

Figure 1 shows a central vertical section of the machine, and Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section of the same.

In a suitable cylindrical casing 1 is rovided a central, non-rotatable shaft 2, w ich may be secured to the cover 3 of said casing 1. On this shaft 2 are loosely mounted crosses 4 of metal sheet or the like which are kept at a distance from each other by means of intermediate disks 5 or .the like.

The crosses 4 and disks 5 are kept in position on the shaft 2 by means of a stop disk 6 and a nut 7 on the lower end of the shaft. In Fig. 1 are shown five crosses 4, but in the ractice I use a much greater number, for instance 15--17, inasmuch as the teats are actuated the more smoothly the greater the number of crosses. Each cross 4 is provided with four radially or approximately radially disposed cushions 8 of india rubber or any other elastic material, by means of which the teats are compressed against radial or approximately radial plates 9. Each plate 9 corresponds to one set of cushions 8, as is evident from the left side of Fig. 1 and is adjustable to and from the cushions 8. For adjusting the plates 9 any arbitrary means may be used.

In Fig. 2 I have shown three different adjusting devices. To the uppermost plate 9 of Fig. 2 is rigidly secured a rod 10 extending through the wall of the casing 1 and having at its outer end a head 11. The rod 10 is formed with a set of teeth 12 in which engages a spring catch 13 which keeps the pl t 9 i Hm rlrmiv'nrl nnsitinn and mav be disengaged from the teeth thereof by means of a push 15. The upper plate 9 at the left side of Fig. 2 is rigidly connected to a plate 16 (Figs. 1 and 2) having on its one'side one or more racks 17 in which engage pinions 18 mounted on an axle 19. ()n the latter is further secured a pinion 20 in which engages a radially movable rack 21 extending through the wall of the casing 1 and having outside the latter a head 22. When the rack 21 is moved inward, the plate 9 is moved toward the adjacent cushions 8. Around the axle 19 is wound a spring 23 (Fig. 1) which tends to rotate the shaft in such direction that the plate 9 is moved in the direction from the cushions 8. Such rotation is however prevented by a spring actuated catch 24 engaging the teeth of the pinion 20. The catch 24 is outside the easing 1 provided with a head 25. The lower plate 9 shown to the left in Fig. 2 is likewise connected to a plate 16* which is movable longitudinally and has a slot in which engages a wedge 26 secured to a radially movable rod 27 which extends through the Wall of the casing 1 and outside the latter is formed with a head 28. When the rod 27 is pushed inward, the plate 9 is forced "toward the adjacent cushions 8. The wedge 26 has a set of teeth 29 in which engages a spring-actuated catch 30 extending through the wall of the casing and lacking the wedge 26 in the desired positiorr.

The crosses 4 are actuated in the one direction by cams 32 the number of which corresponds to the number of crosses and which are secured to a rotatable axle 31. Springs 33 (only one shown in the drawing) tend to turn the crosses 4 in the other in relation to each other so as to ictuate the crosses in order so that the teats are in well known manner compressed in a stepwise manner from the root to the point when placed between the cushions 8ahd the plates 9. In the form shown in thedrawing the cams 32 act on projections,34 of the crosses. As is evident from Fig. 2 the cams 32 are arranged in such manner on the axle 31 that when the latter is turned into a certain position the cams 32 will allow all the crosses 4 to move away from the plates direction. The said cams 32 are dijplaced 9 so that the teats may be freely introduced between said members when the machine is placed on the cow. The cover 3 of the easing is iii-the usual manner provided with indicated by dotted circles in Fig. 2. Below "the casing 1 is provided a receiver 35 in which the milk is taken up. Inasniuch as all the crosses 4 may be exactly of one and the same shape they may for instance be stamped out from sheet metal, and on account thereof the manufacture of the same will be simple and very cheap. The other parts of the machine are likewise very simple to manufacture and therefore the price of the machine will be very low.

When the machine is to be cleansed I first remove the nut 7 and the disk 6, whereupon the disks 5 and the crosses 4 may conveniently be removed from the axle 2 and cleansed. After the removal ofthe crosses 4 the other non-removable parts of the machine are easily accessible for cleansing.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure i by Letters Patent is:

1. In a milking machine the ggrnbination of, a casing, a central non-rotatable shaft in\ and plates with which said crosses co-act for compressing the teats, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a milking machine the combination of, a casing, a central non-rotatable shaft in said casing, a plurality of four'armed crosses on said shaft, a second shaft, a plurality of cams on said shaft for turning said crosses independently of each other, adjust-able plates with which said crosses coact for compressing the teats, and means for locking said plates in position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses. DAVID ALFVEN.

Witnesses:

CONRAD E. UNAH, ELLEN FAvIiN. 

